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Topic Review (Newest First)

04-30-15 09:42 PM

Sharukurusu

Callista listened to the story in silence, taking more time with her broth. All it took for her to swill down the last stale gulps was for the light to act up. It made her curious as to what her generator room was doing, or if someone had gotten into it. She watched the man run out, puzzling a moment as she pulled her thick gloves back on. Bowl was set aside, and she opted to pluck up a burning chair leg, if one was handy and able to be held onto without much fuss.

The light had bothered her eyes but that was perfectly fine - she'd cope. A few rubs with a free hand before she set off with the burning article - or another that was torch-worthy - and down the hall she went cautiously. She needed to search out something else but she wanted to work her way back to the generator room she'd come to a rest at in the first place. She'd be slow and quiet, keeping an ear out and the light held high to peer into the darkness, hoping to not need it as a weapon - hoping in all honesty that whatever it was had gone after the old man anyhow, and it wasn't headed her way. Pending she makes it, she'd likely try to hole up and barricade in for the time being to let the dust settle as she had before.

04-24-15 01:12 PM

Asamodai

As he steps out into the street, Pieter spares one final longing glance back inside the chapel, marvelling for a few more moments at the magnificence of the great statue and lingering in the warmth it brought to his soul. Then there was the blood, a single tear. At least Pieter thought there was. He took one step to head back inside for a closer look but once he had blinked it was gone. Maybe it was just his imagination, or a trick of the light. Whatever it was, he felt no reason to linger here any longer and turned back to the street.

The lights rose and Pieter dropped to his knees, grinning from ear to ear. It was over. This whole terrible nightmare was over. The light was back and surely whatever evil had emerged here had been banished along with the darkness it lurked in. He basked in the light, looked up joyously into the midday sun. Then it grew brighter, and brighter. It hurt his eyes. He started squinting but it wasn't enough. He closed them tight but the light felt like it was burning through his eyelids. He covered them with his hand but the light still pushed through the gaps between his crooked fingers. He turned away and pushed his face to the ground, wrapped his hands around his head and cried as he waited for the sky to explode.

It never did and as swiftly as it had come the light was gone again and once more Pieter was left alone in the dark. Slowly he emerged from the ball he had made of himself, falling sideways into the foetal position first, then stretching out and sitting up. He wiped the tears from his cheeks with his sleeve, cleaning the dirt from his face only to replace it with that from his clothing.

What did it mean? First the tear, then the light.

It struck him like a thunderbolt. The Emperor was unhappy about the light. He did not want his subjects to be left in the darkness. He wanted the light restored and he wanted Pieter to restore it. But how? Sure Pieter had the skills but it was unclear at what point the systems was damaged the cause the blackout. He still held the Mechanicum coin tight in his hand. This was surely a sign too. The Mechanicum ran the power plants, but this did not give him his next move. There were hundreds of plants in the grid.

Inspiration struck him. Picking up a small stone from the ground next to him he carved a groove into the top of the coin, then tossed it into the air, the way he had seen one of the Overseers do it when deciding whether or not to beat one of the workers. Pieter's technique was not nearly as good and the coin spun awkwardly away into the street. It landed and Pieter hurriedly crawled on all fours over to it. The groove in the coin pointed to Pieter's right.

That was his heading, guiding undoubtedly by the Emperor's own hand. Picking up the coin and tucking it into his pocket, Pieter groaned as he pushed himself to his feet and set off down the street.

04-12-15 08:06 PM

Deus Mortis

“Since the ‘Event’ the Lower Hive of Thessalonica had not been governed by the regular rhythm of night and day, instead dwelling in perpetual twilight. That abrupt shift was enough to fracture the strained psyche of several of the residents, but not most. Most found other rhythms to fall into. However, even such twilight was not permanent. The lights of the Lower Hive slowly began to increase their luminescence to near blinding levels. Then, suddenly, the whole city went dark.”

Kirai "The Rat": You cower as far back in the vent as you can go. Behind you is a T-junction in the vent system, with one path leading up and the other vertically down. You can hear the slight murmur of noises and some voices, although it could equally be Dr Holst talking to the fighters as it could be them over-powering him and talking amongst themselves. It is a few minutes and Dr Holst still has not come. He may be looking for you, or he could be dead or injured and the others could be looking for you.

While you ponder, or try not to ponder as the case may be, these possibilities, the light outside of the vent begins to grow brighter and brighter. The vent grill, still in place but easily detachable if anyone tried, and the fact that you are far back in the vent shields you from the majority of the light so you are able to watch the light grow brighter than you can ever remember it being before you see it abruptly die. This situation is familiar to you; stuck inside a vent whilst your only ‘family’ is outside potentially in danger. What do you do? Do you continue to hide and preserve yourself or do you brave looking for Dr Holst? Alternatively, do you retreat further and go down the vent to escape what, if anything or anyone, is outside the vent.

Samuel Holst: What you witness is nothing short of unhinged brutality. The man drops to one knee, clutching his leg as blood leaks slowly from the wound, the knife lodged in there stemming the blood flow. He looks at you aghast and furious. Then the woman is upon him, her wrench smashing into his head with a bone-crunching smack. The force of the blow spins him onto his back. The woman pounces on his back and proceeds to repeatedly smash his skull with her heavy tool. The force of her blows cave in the back of his head but she keeps going for several blows after that, smearing his blood and brain matter into the floor. After he’s dead, she squats on-top of him still, panting from exertion. Finally she reached back and grabs your knife, now slick with arterial blood and offers it to you. “I believe this is yours, Dr Holst.” For someone you just watched cave in someone skull, she is surprisingly calm and well spoken.

Tentatively you take it from her. For a few moments words fail you, but once you have regained your composure the lights begin to glow white hot. The light becomes so intense it is almost blinding, forcing you shield your eyes. The glow of the light between your fingers dies suddenly and you find yourself in total darkness. You fumble quickly for your glow-globe and turn it on. The woman remains in much the same way as she had been before, although he wrench is slightly cleaner, her jumpsuit is not so much. “Your usefulness continues to prove itself doctor.” She says nodding at your glow globe. “We should leave. It’s not safe here.” She makes moves towards the staircase. Do you slip away, hoping to part ways with the blood-stained woman? Do you follow here? Do you try to convince her to look for Kirai with you? If you do the latter, you will find that she cocks her head quizzically, her tongue running along her teeth under her lips before saying “You aren’t worth dying for doctor. I’ll give you 10 minutes, then I’ll leave you and your child to whatever awaits you.” Then she will follow you in however you choose to look for Kirai.

Kanis Strike: the barking of the cyber-mastiff disappears into the distance, obviously content that you came no further rather than feeling the need to pursue you. You and the man you have just met run for several minutes towards the East Side of the town. By the time you both stop, panting slightly, you can make out in the distance the air filtration plant slightly to your left. However, the majority of what surrounds you is hab blocks, market stalls, although there is a minor manufactorum down the street to your right. The man you have just me pants and puts his hands behind his head and begins to laugh softly. “I thought they were joking when they said we’d face the Emperor’s Justice. Still, looks like we gave them the slip! Just like old times…” He mumbles the last part, almost to himself as if trying to convince himself. Clearly he remembers your servo-skull’s threat, but whatever has damaged his psyche seems to have twisted it to allow him to maintain his delusion that you are his son.

“Come on then, time we get back. Your Mother will start to worry.” He begins to walk briskly ahead of you. As you follow, the light overhead becomes lighter, almost light midday light. Then it keeps getting brighter. Soon the man has disappeared into the light and you have to shield your eyes. “Son! Son where are you?!” You hear the man call but it sounds far away. After a few moments you tentatively un-shield your eyes and find yourself in total darkness. As your eyes struggle to adapt to the darkness, you hear footsteps leading away just ahead of you. You begin to follow them before you hear a voice to your left call out “Son!”. As your head turns to the source of this new sound, to your right you hear “Son! If you can hear me, follow my voice!” Still ahead of you, you hear footsteps leading away from you. Which, if any, of the noises do you follow? Or do you simply make a dash for the nearest hab block and hope to find a source of light or wait for the light to return on its own?

Callista "Cally" Santigue: You find several bowls in a nearby cupboard and serve yourself and your new companion a portion of the broth. Whilst it is most certainly stale, it is warm and tastes nutritious to you. The man takes several spoonfuls of his and says to you. “I doubt there’s much point. I doubt he survived, I just thought maybe…” the man’s eyes drift off into the corner of the room as he continues to shovel broth into his mouth. He finishes quickly and sets the bowl down on the floor and breaths deeply, as if trying to overcome some feeling. “I saw it.” He says abruptly. He fixes you with an intense stare. “I was in an Arbites holding cell. Drunk and disorderly conduct they said. The lights died and everyone started screaming. One tried to hide in my cell and I saw it grab him, the muzzle flair lighting it up. It…” The man begins to squint and shield his eyes, as do you.

The light-strip on the ceiling begins to glow white hot, eclipsing even the light of your fire. You cover your eyes as the light intensifies before abruptly dying, leaving you with only the light of the fire. The light of the fire illuminates the hallway and you notice that all the windows are black too. Evidently this black out is not restricted to this building but you have no idea how far it does extend. The man springs to his feet “I’ve said too much. It heard me. It’s coming for me.” He practically whimpers. He sprints out of the room and into the corridor knocking the fires slightly as he goes. What do you do? Do you stay and trust in the light of the fire to keep you safe? Do you hide in this one of the nearby rooms in a wardrobe, cupboards, locker of such thing were the light still reaches you? Do you follow the man or do you simply retreat into the shadows on your own, hoping to find safety in darkness?

Pieter Hark: You reach the street and the man is nowhere to be seen, thankfully. You take one last glance back at the statue of the God-Emperor and notice a single crimson tear rolling down his cheek. You blink and it has gone. Is it a sign? What do you make of that? You hear the sound of barking in the distance and two figures disappear quickly into the distance to your right. To your left you notice that one of the rooms of the hab blocks in the distance is brighter than the others and grey smoke is leaking slowly from it.

Before you can decide what to do or where to go, the lights overhead begin to glow light midday light. Although, it doesn’t stop there. They keep glowing brighter and eventually their intensity is too much and you are forced to shield your eyes. Eventually the blinding like dies and you are left in the street, alone and in the dark. Although its light is too weak to illuminate your street, you can still see the light in the hab block to the north. Do you follow it? Alternatively, you know that the nearest manufactorium is to the east and there is another one in a similar direction as the hab block with the light. Perhaps you should journey there and root out the mysterious stranger? Or neither. They are many hab blocks around you could take refuge in if you chose.

04-09-15 11:08 PM

komanko

Dr. Holst moved onwards, calling out to the orange dressed woman yet to no avail. He kept walking, hoping that when he would reach the junction ahead he will not be greeted by a bullet, or something worse.
As he kept moving he started hearing something, it resembled a loud thud followed by a squishing sound, as he moved faster the sounds were intensifying around him, turning into a cacophony of grunts and shouts. The sound he heard earlier was most definitely that of meat squishing.
Upon arriving at the junction he was greeted by a gruesome scene, the woman he saw before was chasing down a crawling man, he tried to scramble to his feet, his eyes, clearly wide and bloodshot, a common sign to drug abuse, which was not that surprising in the underhive. Samuel couldn't even begin to count the times he had to treat addicts or save them from an OD...
Opposed to the crawling man the woman seemed to now sport a dent in her helm, a metallic stud was lodged there, most likely a bullet. It seemed that the woman was looking for this guy, as he kept pondering the situation the man turned and stood up, quickly drawing a relatively rusty knife and trying to protect himself with it. This was obviously not going to end well for the man, as the woman in orange swung her wrench furiously at him, clipping him in the shoulder and sending him spinning face down towards the ground.

Quick steps caught Samuel's attention, looking back he saw the fluttering shape of a child turning around the corner, disappearing towards the room he slept in, "shit" he muttered, Kirai must have gotten scared hearing the scuffle unfolding.
Holst turned his attention back to the fight in front of him, he was unsure of how to proceed, both sides seemed to ignore him, he could help any of them, he could move past them, though, if the situation was not defused now both Kirai and him risk getting caught in the same situation again.

He did not like what he was about to do, but desperate times... The woman was obviously the stronger contender, the only way he would gain her trust is by doing something for her, and sadly, that something, involved the other person in the room.
Samuel would have never done something like that under normal circumstances but everything changed, he came to the realization that the new world, created in the wake of the "Event" did not have room for remorse or a strict moral code, sometimes... You have to survive...

He snuck as quietly as he could, he was not a coward, but he was not used to participating in fights, at least nothing as bloody as that, he doubted anyone could say they did not fight ever in the Underhive.
He unsheathed his knife, slowly, deliberately, he had after all a surgeon's precision. He waited around the corner as the battle got closer and closer, the man barely defending against the woman's onslaught.
And as they rounded around the corner Holst jumped out slashing at the mans leg, around where the artery should have been.
He screamed in surprised as Holst drove the blade inside his leg, panicking Holst let out a scream as well, leaving the blade lodged in his leg instead of pulling it out... He was not a fighter obviously.
The woman did not hesitate for a moment and pressed her assault.

Samuel coward back into the shadows, hoping against hope that he did the right thing, he might have made a better equipped ally, but he might have met a new enemy just as well. He could not know.
Now he will just have to watch the scene unfold...

04-09-15 02:42 PM

Asamodai

“The faithful return to their thane! But what power does an idol have, except that which we ascribe to it?”

The newcomer takes Pieter by surprise and he bolts up out of his seat, rudely awakened from his peaceful contemplation. He takes a short glance at him then looks away, as if hoping there is still a chance that he won't be seen.

"This is a statue of the God-Emperor. It is empowered with the majesty of him-on-Terra. To doubt that is heresy." Pieter says matter-of-factly, like a child being asked to explain something they have only the simplest knowledge of.

"Yes, yes of course..." the man replies, his voice soft and smooth like a pur, comforting if not for the overtly disingenuous tone. "...but tell me, how do we know that it is Him On Terra? What if he is a false idol? Tell me oh faithful one, how do we know we are not deceived?"

Pieter's eyes never raise from the fixed point on the ground ahead of him and a little to his right, away from the piercing eyes of the newcomer. Yet still he begins to seethe with anger, balling his fists until his knuckles turn white and shaking with impotent rage. "Who are you to come into this holy place and question the God-Emperor? We are not deceived. Who are you to-!? Who are you!?" he demands.

"No no no no, dear child. We are watched and judge, of that I am certain." the newcomer says, seemingly ignoring Pieter's outburst. "I simply ask where it is these eyes that watch us, or other, truer eyes." he stares up at the grand statue of the Emperor, fixing it's gaze in challenge.

Pieter shakes his head and digs his fingertips into his head, clawing at hair far too short to grasp.

"No no no no. I know what you speak of. They taught us. I will not speak it's name."

He turns away and falls to his knees, facing the statue. He makes the sign of the Aquila across his chest and presses his forehead into the ground in absolute subservience. He begins praying in a low murmur, hurrying his words desperately so they many are only half formed.

The man snorts derisively. "We are watched by powers and that much is true..." he says, seemingly speaking to the statue as much as Pieter "...but whatever god watches us is certainly not benevolent. A loving god would not allow such a massacre. Whoever's eyes watch us, they care nothing for our lives or our well-being. We are but ants, playthings for them to toy with and burn when we cease to amuse." He looks down at Pieter's praying form, his voice dropping to a warm whisper. "If it is our sovereign Emperor, I would stay silent, lest you draw his wrathful gaze to this planet a second time."

The man turns and begins to leave. A small metallic clang echo's around the room but neither man seems to pay attention to it. Slowly the newcomer exits and for a time the only sounds are Pieter's desperate hurried prayers. Several minutes pass until Pieter begins to feel safe again and slowly gets to his feet and looks up at the grand statue. "Do not forsake me. Guide me in these times of darkness." he says finally and turns away.

As he makes his way down the aisle he spots the source of the earlier clang. An small coin catches the faintest hint of light from the puddle of dark dry blood it had bounced into. Pieter picks it up, wipes it on his overalls and inspects it. Though he doesn't fully know what it is, he knows enough to recognise the markings of the Adeptus Mechanicus.

He hesitates, worrying that the man may still be outside. He waits several more minutes, then tentatively walks back out onto the street.

04-07-15 10:59 PM

Sharukurusu

Callista stayed patient and waited for him to come to the better conclusion on his own. She sighed softly when he settled down and took his aim off her. The pistol could stay out, it was good for safety in her mind. She'd get the fire rolling and the broth cooking, standing to stir it while occasionally looking over at him. She forced a bit of a side smile, trying to be more kind than her usual self. "I haven't seen many faces around here.. To be honest, your's is the first living one I have seen. It's sad and good at the same time. I don't particularly have any desire to see what did all of this, myself."

She'd carefully move a little closer once the broth got up towards boiling so it'd stir itself in some way, stomach giving a grumble. "He will likely turn up. After we both get something warm in us, we may even go look for him together? I've not much holding me here, but I wouldn't mind returning either. My body's too accustomed to high temperatures. It's a comfort for me I suppose. Something to focus on right now." She'd turn her head, looking for something to put two servings of broth into - a cup or bowl, or something. If she could find it she'd make a serving up and offer it to him, and one for herself of course. If she only found one she'd give it to him first to try and better ease his nerves.

04-07-15 09:55 PM

Shadow's Fury

The plan seemed work. The skull’s announcement drew the predator’s attention for enough time for Kanis to escape. He flew down the stairs as fast as he dare move. It was then he heard footsteps, chasing after him.

‘That accursed skull must have led this way!’ Kanis thought.

Kanis darted behind a wall and glanced behind him. Indeed, there was the servo skull, closely followed by a man. He was carrying a shotgun with both hands, but it was not raised. It seemed to Kanis that his pursuer wished to finish this encounter close up. As he began to run towards the main entrance a thought crossed his encumbered mind, the man was not holding a pistol. A shotgun at that range would have splatted the poor boys head, so was this the same man who was stalking the corridor?
Kanis burst through the door and fell down the front steps. He cursed silently at the sharp pain in his knees as they connected with the hard ground. He could not keep this pace up, this was where he would meet his end.

‘May the Emperor have mercy on my tattered soul’

He thought as he turned towards the front door just in time to see his pursuer catch up to him. Kanis raised his arms outward to expose his chest and closed his eyes, hoping for a quick death. He heard the man run towards him and felt a tightness in his chest. But there was no pain, only a warm and tight embrace. Kanis opened his eyes to see that the man was hugging him, as one might embrace a loved one. This puzzling turn of events became even stranger as the man spoke.

“Oh son, I thought I had lost you. It was all so dark, and I…”

He pulled away, tears streaming down his face. He met Kanis’ with an intense stare, a stare which mirrored that of his own parents when they told him to run. It was a face put on to shield a child from the harsh reality, attempting to look calm and reassuring. But it was the eyes which concerned Kanis. They looked half-crazed, the eyes of one who has seen too much for the soul to handle. Kanis tried to back away slowly, it was clear this man’s sanity had not survived the time after the Event. But he moved closer, wiping his tears from eyes.

“But I’ve found you and now everything will be ok. Just like it used to be”

The man looked barely older than Kanis, and yet was convinced that he was his lost son.

‘Perhaps I can reason with him’ thought Kanis as he scrabbled around in his pocket for the servo skull console.

Suddenly a howl emanated from the end of the street. A huge beast stared at him with cybernetic eyes. He knew that some of the families were able to afford cyber-mastiffs, but this was the first he had seen. It was more machine than dog, its hind limbs and head glinting with robotic enhancements. It barked again, this time with a tone of urgency, as if it was willing them to move on out of harm’s way.

“Come on Son, let’s go!”

The man grabbed Kanis’ arm and pulled him down the street and followed the cyber-mastiff down an alleyway. He felt the grip lessen and was able to pull his arm free. Kanis looked behind him, he could easily make his escape now and leave the poor soul and his dog to their fate.

‘No, I swore and oath to help those in need’ he thought, ‘This must be the Emperor’s plan, he leads the faithful!'

'NOT ALL MEN OF FAITH FOLLOW THE SAME PATH' The voice sneered.

Taking a deep breath, Kanis followed his new companions.

04-07-15 12:26 PM

Ratvan

Kirai looked crestfallen as Samuel told her to stay put, she did not want the man to leave her alone in this strange place with strangers about. She made to grasp his hand but he was already out of reach after handing her the food that he had found. She was debating going after Samuel and was in the process of working up the courage to stepping out of the room when she heard the gunshot and a scuffle. The gunshot shocked her to the core and she felt the loss of the liquid that spilt to the floor. Not wanting to waste the rest of the water she quickly downed the remainder and thrust the food into her satchel along with the empty water container. She had decided what to do and sprinted along the corridor to the room where they had holed up and slept in previously. Quickly she threw herself into the air vent and moved about 5 metres along the shaft, waiting for her heart rate to return to normal she retrieved one of the food jars from her satchel and started to eat the paste to settle the pains and cramps in her stomach ignoring the taste of the puree and her tears as she waited and prayed for Samuel to find her

03-25-15 11:51 PM

Deus Mortis

Kirai "The Rat": Samuel tells you to hide. He has left you with the food and the water you were carrying and ventured into unknown territory. Perhaps unwilling to let another paternal figure be killed to protect you, you don’t instinctively hide as asked. Instead you wait just behind the door entrance, out of the line of sight. You hear Dr Holst repeat himself before a gunshot goes off. The noise makes you jump, sloshing the water cup about and spilling some of it on the floor.

At this point you have a few options. You do not know if Dr Holst is the one shot, but it certainly sounds like there is a scuffle going on just down the corridor so if he was shot he is likely not dead yet. You could either venture out after him, risking yourself getting attacked by whoever is still out there but at least confirming if your adoptive ‘father’ is alive. Alternatively you may now wish to hide in this room. There are several cupboards you could fit in, as well as ample space under the bed-frame and even behind the door that is ajar, although sadly no vents. Finally, you could make a break for the room you started in and escape into the vent. This has the advantage of being nearly inaccessible to those larger than you, but you will not have time to look back if you do run for it.

Gabriel Frost: As you make your way up the stairs you hear a voice call out from about a floor up. “ Stranger? What is your doing here? My name is Dr. Holst, may I assist you somehow?” Perhaps that is true, perhaps it is a ruse to lure you into a trap set up by whoever you followed in here. You might choose to call back or not, but regardless you decide to very cautiously make your way to the bottom of the stairs leading up to the 3rd floor. As you get to the bottom, you hear a gunshot. Reflexively you recoil out of the stairwell, away from the line of sight of those above.

You look at the walls and cannot see any bullet holes in the walls and you have not been hit, so either the shooter was not aiming for you or they simply fired as a warning to you. You cannot be sure. However, from above you think you can hear the sounds of fast footsteps and heavy-breathing. You could lie low, either by exiting the building or by hiding in one of the rooms. Alternatively you could make your way up the stairs and investigate who or what is up there. (Note that if you do ascend the stairs, you will only be able to see the knife-wielding man and the Arbites helm woman you followed in there, one or neither could be the voice that spoke to you. Anyone down the corridor is obscured from your sight.)

Samuel Holst: You call out but get no response from the woman. You begin to wander further up the hallway, closer to the junction at the end, and repeat yourself. You can still hear foot-steps in the corridor, which stop as you near the end of the hall. Suddenly a gun-shot rings out, proceeded by grunts, the sound of metal striking metal and then the softer, wetter sound of metal striking flesh.

Before you can have time to wonder what or who was making the noise, a middle-aged man skids down the hallway on his back, as if thrown. He scrambles to his feet. One of his hands seems damaged, the palm concaved in an odd way. He scrabbles at his belt, finding a knife. As he does so the Arbites helmed woman, who now has a bullet-dent in her helmet, appears swinging the wrench furiously. Neither seem to acknowledge you, locked in their own private duel. The man’s eyes are wide and blood-shot, the visor of the woman hides most of her face. You have a weapon of your own and could choose to aid one of them. Alternatively you could try to defuse the situation. However there is no guarantee that either option will end well for you, and Kirai is still down the hall. Both seem to be oblivious to your presence. It’s possible that you could simple move past them and let them brutalise one another.

Kanis Strike: Your sprinting carries you past the man searching the building and down the stairs before he has time to react. Hypothetically a normal person would have been able to effectively escape their pursuer. Unfortunately, your servo-skull is pre-programmed to follow you and so diligently bobs after you. As you glance behind you see it trailing, followed by you the man. You can see that, whilst he is certainly wielding a shotgun and has a knife strapped to his belt, neither of those weapons would have caused the shot to the head the boy suffered.

You make it out of the building before he catches up to you. You expect to be stabbed or shot, but instead the man simply throws his arms around you. “Oh son, I thought I had lost you. It was all so dark, and I…” His voice trails off and he releases you. As you back away slightly, he regains his composure. “…But I’ve found you and now everything will be ok. Just like it used to be.” Clearly this man thinks you are his son, but he cannot be more than 10 years your senior so it’s unlikely you bear any genuine resemblance to the man’s child.

Before you can ask any pertinent questions or set the man straight, you hear barking. You look down the street towards the manufactorium and see a cyber-mastif in the middle of the street, staring at you and barking. The man grabs your arm “Come on son, let’s go!” he pulls you after him for a while before breaking left slightly ahead of you. You can either follow him, whilst he is clearly unstable he may have resources you can use, or take this opportunity to break right, leading you back down the street towards the chapel.

Callista "Cally" Santigue: His handle on the gun is a little shakey, the tremor seems to start in his right shoulder and work its way down his hand. He keeps it pointed at you all the while you talk and for a few moments afterwards. Slowly he lowers his weapons and grumbles “I thought you were one of those piece of shit raiders from a few hab blocks over.” He sits himself down near your growing pile of kindling, although he makes no effort to assist and does not holster his gun.

A few more broken bits of furniture later and expending one of your fire-starters (5 left) you have a fire going. The warmth begins to spread through the room, and you set the broth on top of the fire to get it warmed up, occasionally stirring it. The man has not spoken since he sat down and is still shivering slightly. He can’t be cold, but there is likely something wrong with him. As the broth begins to boil he asks you “I lost my daughter, and my grandson. I came home and they were gutter. I’ve not seen my son since it happened.” he rummages in his pocket and takes out a faded photograph and shows it too you. “Have you seen him?” Unfortunately, the fact doesn’t look familiar, but lying might help the man hang onto whatever hope he has. You might also ask about your family, perhaps he has seen signs of them?

Pieter Hark: You sit in the front pew and stare at the statue venerating the Emperor. Surely is can be nothing short of a miracle that everything else in this chapel is damaged except for this one statue. You wait for several minutes under the shadow of the Emperor but feel no different. You are in his sight and yet feel no more direction or purpose than you did before you came in. Perhaps you expected a booming voice of direction or a soft tug of your heart strings to guide you. Whatever you expected, it doesn’t seem forth-coming.

Your focus on the Emperor is broken by a mirthless laugh from the rear of the chapel. A man, about the same age as yourself, stands in the doorway. He is wearing an officer’s coat but if does not fit him well, although it’s long flowing fabric hides whatever he keeps at his hips, if anything. “The faithful return to their thane!” He says, his voice filling the empty chapel. He walks down the central isle, easily stepping over corpses and blood pools. “But what power does an idol have, except that which we ascribe to it?”. He appears to be asking the question to you rather than rhetorically.

03-23-15 08:48 PM

Sharukurusu

Cally could do with the cold broth. She gave it a stir to see if there were any bits of creepy-crawly proteins in it or not. At this point, she hardly cared to eat a bug honestly. With or without them, she'd go about and start breaking apart furniture to create her pile indeed, already missing the warmth of her earlier spot. Turning to the door at the noise she watched and waited, one of the short desk legs in her hand. The elderly man surprised her, not thinking someone of that advanced age would have lived this far, and it brought her a spark of hope.

The pistol, however, didn't do much for her. She'd stand a little more upright, slowly. "Searching for food, water, and kindling. I am sorry if I've invaded in on you, but.. Well, hunger drives us all at this point." She tried to quirk up her lips into a smile to ease him a bit. She wasn't the most charismatic after all. "I would be more than happy to share what I have with you, if you were to kindly lower the weapon. I mean no harm to anyone." She'd very slowly set the desk leg down, standing up again to show empty gloved hands. "I was a worker at the munitions Manufactorum.. Displaced and lost, like anyone else alive I'd assume. What is your story, Sir? What've you seen?"

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